 1961:
1957
Gretsch 6128 Duo Jet semi-solid mahogany body, black finish, silver
pickguard; Serial #21179: Harrison found this one through a member
of a band called the Delacardoes, who got a tip from a taxi driver.
The driver, Ivan Hayward, was a former merchant seaman who was planning
on emigrating and had decided to sell the Gretsch Duo Jet he'd bought at
Sam Goody's in New York City in 1957. "God knows how I managed to
get 75 quid together," Harrison recalls in the Anthology
book. "It seemed like a fortune. I remember having it in my
inside pocket, thinking 'I hope nobody mugs me.' " (As it turned
out, he only had £70 at the time and had to leave an IOU
for the balance -- which he never got around to paying.) The
Duo Jet sported "humped block" inlays, a Bigsby vibrato and two single-coil
DeArmond pickups. Harrison used this sturdy, stylish beauty
for the early singles, the Please Please Me sessions and
innumerable shows in Hamburg, at the Cavern, the Casbah and throughout
Britain until late spring '63. Then, after getting a swankier Gretsch,
Harrison gave this instrument to Hamburg mate Klaus Voormann, who changed
one pickup and hung on to it for about 20 years before giving it back to
Harrison. Sometime in late '85 or '86 this guitar was sent to guitar
tech Alan Rogan, who gave it to luthier Roger
Giffin for the rehab work. "I had to rewire it," Giffin recalls,
"because true to form with old Gretsch guitars, the original wiring was
disintegrating." Rogan "was working with George on and off at the
time. He also brought in a '50s Strat and George's original Rickenbacker
12 string. I refinished the Strat matte black (I've seen George playing
that in a video) but I'm not sure what I did to the Rickenbacker."
 Regarding
the Duo Jet, Melvyn Hiscock recalls that Giffin also "had a spare DeArmond
pickup which he fitted and generally gave the guitar the once-over. I was
Roger's shop manager and was there when all this happened. I even
got to play 'Twist and Shout' and a few other Beatle tunes on it."
Harrison put the restored Duo Jet to use on Cloud Nine (1987),
whose cover it graces. Pictured above is Gretsch's authentic G6128-57
reissue.
 1962:
1962
Gibson J-160E; Serial #73161: This is really a tale of two guitars.
Harrison bought an electrified "jumbo" acoustic on 10 September 1962, the
same day Lennon bought one, at Rushworth and Dreaper's Music in Liverpool.
(In photo at left, assistant manager James Rushworth poses with the lads.)
Almost immediately they got the identical guitars mixed up, for the one
Harrison had all those years since is registered to Lennon, who holds it
in this photo. Lennon's (actually, George's) was stolen in December
1963 at the Finsbury Astoria Theatre in London during the Christmas show.
So, after little more than a year, having been used in the studio (Please
Please Me, With the Beatles) and on stage, this guitar disappeared
into the London fog. But Harrison continued to use "Lennon's" jumbo
through the Sgt. Pepper sessions.
|
1963:
Gretsch
6131 Jet Fire Bird (single cutaway, red w/ black pickguard, vintage
'58-'62): Harrison probably borrowed this guitar -- essentially another
version of the Duo Jet -- and used it briefly early in the year.
It's seen in photos from a Cavern Club rehearsal, but precious little after
that.